After making the game-winning catch for the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, a reception that could be a potential season-maker, Freeman felt overwhelmed.

"The way things have been going for me lately, I really needed something like this," said the Packers' embattled wide receiver. "I've never been carried off the field before."

He has now, but then Freeman has never been on the receiving end of a miracle pass like the one that gave the Packers their 26-20 overtime victory over the Vikings either.

The play was the seventh of the overtime period, as the Packers faced a third and 4 from the Vikings' 43. It was a simple sideline pattern with Vikings cornerback Cris Dishman providing the primary coverage on Freeman.

Freeman slipped and fell on his back, but Dishman juggled the ball twice, and the ball hit Freeman in his helmet. It deflected into the air and Freeman was able to snare it before it touched the ground.

Dishman, thinking the ball had fallen incomplete, turned his back on the play, which was a big mistake.

Freeman picked himself off the ground and raced untouched for the miracle 43-yard touchdown pass. The play was reviewed but the touchdown stood.

"I knew it didn't touch the ground," Freeman said. "There was no doubt in my mind.

"As I was falling back, it just fell into arms. I guess we just got an early Christmas gift."

But before Monday night, this has been anything but the season to be jolly for Freeman. First, there was the matter of the $9,000 fine imposed by coach Mike Sherman when Freeman missed his plane and was late returning to Green Bay after the Packers' bye week.

Then there was the perception by Freeman that he was being underutilized in the Packers' scheme.

But Sherman was right there leading the cheers for Freeman on this night.

"A lot of guys would have given up on that play, but Antonio stayed right with it," Sherman said. "That's the type of effort we have come to expect from him.

"I wouldn't call this redemption for Antonio Freeman.

"What I would call this is just a good Antonio Freeman game."

The touchdown was Freeman's most notable play, but it wasn't his only contribution to the Packers' victory. For the game, Freeman caught five passes for 118 yards, averaging 23.6 yards per reception.

Freeman's second-biggest play of the game didn't go in the books as a reception, but it set up the Packers' first touchdown midway through the second period. Freeman drew a pass interference call on Dishman that gave Green Bay a first down at the Minnesota 6 and set up Brett Favre's underhanded touchdown pass to Ahman Green.

"I appreciate the fact that the coaching staff and Brett got me involved in the game early and often," Freeman said.

While the catch was huge for Freeman, it was even bigger for the Packers.

"All season long the breaks have been going against us, but tonight we got the breaks," Freeman said. "I just knew we weren't going to go off this field a 3-6 team.

"When (the Vikings) didn't get that field goal off at the end of regulation, I looked at Brett and said, 'Now is a great time for that rain to start falling.' "